Arcade Reviews

Many of Sega’s arcade releases of the early ’80s have been overlooked, and there are some good titles worth checking out. One of them is Mister Viking, a 1984 run-‘n-gun that wasn’t spectacular but offered some decent fun for a while. It was manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Bally/Midway, after Sega’s retreat from the U.S. market in 1983.

Sega’s arcade hack-‘n-slash coin-op spawned a franchise that has lasted for decades and became an instant classic. Released amid a flurry of Double Dragon clones, its fantasy setting and awesome magic effects gave it a strong identity that caused brought in tons of quarters. This is the one that started it all.

SegaSonic The Hedgehog was one of the few games in the franchise to not see a home release, due to its trackball control scheme. Thankfully, it can still be played via emulation in MAME. It may be short, but it’s a fun three-player romp that was great to play with friends. Staff writer Doug Jackson spent some time with it, so read on for his impressions!